Tint Your Plaster For Touch Ups on Primed Walls & Trim
If you are patching or filling holes, scratches or dents on primed white walls or trim it is a good idea to mix a little colour (paint tint) into the filler you are using. If you don’t, it is very easy to miss some of these spots when you are sanding and spot priming afterward.
Why is this important? Any areas that you have filled must be spot primed before you apply a finish coat of paint, if you do not prime these spots, they will show up as flat, dull spots on your finished walls and trim (even on low sheen finishes like eggshell). by adding colour to your filler you will be able to see all the spots you filled, sand them and spot prime them all – this applies to mouldings and any built-in woodwork as well.
Most lumber yards carry small tubes of paint tint that you can use. You won’t need much so just get a small tube. You can also buy coloured fillers at some stores but is much more expensive. If you are in a bind and cannot get the paint store, a very small amount of a deep coloured latex paint will work – paint tint is better though.
Do Not Use Pens, Felt Pens or Chalk Lines!
When you are doing your next drywall project, moulding installation, or any other project that will be visible in your home and painted… do not use any ink based marker (felt pens or ink pens) or chalk lines on any surface that will be visible on completion. These types of markers will bleed through latex primer and paint. Considering that 90% of paint used in homes today is latex, it is a safe bet you will be using latex paint as well.
Play it safe and only use pencils for marking out cut lines, holes and so on. Pencil marks will not bleed through latex paints
Hard To Find Reproduction Antique Hardware
Do you love the look of antique hardware, lighting, wall plates and other accents used in older homes? Do you own an older home and have trouble finding hardware to match your existing hardware?
Well, look no further, Visit the House of Antique Hardware. Even if you aren’t buying, you’ll love the selection products on this website. They carry everything you could dream of using in an older home (or a new one) and I found the prices reasonable when compared to typical hardware used in many new homes.
WCB Coverage – It’s a Must…Sometimes Even as a Homeowner
It can be confusing at times to know when you need WCB coverage, especially as a homeowner. Even as a contractor, trying to figure out what you need to do to meet WCB regulations and requirements can be a bit like doing your taxes – a pain in the #!s. However, like taxes, you have to do it right, or you could end up in hot water, and with WCB, failure to have coverage when it is required can put you at a very high financial risk – or worse.
If you are required to register and don’t, you could be fined and charged the total compensation costs of an injury should one of your workers, or worker on your property be injured, plus retroactive insurance premiums. In some cases, if an injury is due to negligence on your part, you could face other fines and charges. These fines can get as high as $1,200,000 in severe cases (workers death due to negligence), and could include both fine and imprisonment – not something you want to mess with!
Cutting a Hole In The Ceiling? How To Keep Drywall Dust Contained!
If you have to cut a hole in a standard 8′ high ceiling for a skylight, pot lights or anything else, there is an easy way to keep all the drywall dust from covering everything in the room – or rooms if you have a slight draft in the room (and when you cut open in attic space you will get air movement). Instead of trying to cover everything in the room as I have seen many contractors and homeowners do, it is much easier to contain dust within the area you are working.
This can be done in less than five minutes and cleanup afterwards only takes a few minutes. All you need is a small roll of thin plastic 10′ wide and a few feet longer than the perimeter of the work area (see diagram below) , a package of regular sized push pins and a tarp (plastic or cloth) that is larger than the area you will be working in (see diagram below).
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NEW! Holmes Magazine
If there is one guy who's opinion you can trust for construction and renovation advice it is Mike Holmes from Holmes on Homes. Now you can get his advice delivered right to your door with the launch of his new magazine!
If you've been wondering where you can subscribe to his new magazine? Look no further, you can get a subscription right now for only $18.95 Cdn and save up to 52% off the newsstand price (6 issues). I got mine and am looking forward to the first issue. Visit HolmesMagazine.com to get yours today!
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58 Garage Plans - One Low Price!
If you are an serious handyman or do it yourselfer and are planning to build a garage or barn, You'll love these plans and designs for 58 garages! I stumbled on this package when looking for ideas and cheap plans. I was very impressed with what I got for the price. Check out 58GaragePlans.com for yourself, even though these plans are smaller and less detailed than regular blueprints, you won't regret buying this package - there is lots of ideas, construction details and plans for only $29.00!